Kīhei Ceremony for Graduates

John A. Burns School of Medicine’s graduating fourth-year Native Hawaiian students Akolea Ioane, Sara Ku`ulei Miles, and Kenneth Ortiz were celebrated at the Kīhei Ceremony, in honor of their journeys through medicine.

Click to see our photographs embedded above without Flashplayer at UH Med Flickr.

The Kīhei Ceremony is a JABSOM tradition for graduating Native Hawaiian medical students. Like the white coat, the kīhei is a symbol of responsibility, virtue, teamwork and dedication.

Each kauka `opio (young doctor) was presented with a kīhei, or Hawaiian cloak that tells the story of their voyage to healing.

The kauka`opio created his or her own kīhei which was later presented at the ceremony by Native Hawaiian physicians, or Kauka from `Ahahui o nā Kauka and the Department of Native Hawaiian Health.

After the kīhei were presented, practicing Kauka shared words of guidance about kuleana (responsibility), pono (doing what is right), and lokahi (teamwork). Photographs by Amanda Shell, UH Student Journalist.